NYC Film Office Launches "Reel Jobs" PSA Campaign
The Artists Company, Fluid and Nice Shoes team up on five-spot effort starring local NYC residents working in the film and TV industry.
The Artists Company, Fluid and Nice Shoes
Team for NYC Mayor's Office "Reel Jobs" Effort
The PSA campaign, which will be shown in theatres, on TV
and in taxis in New York emphasize the role production
plays in the city's overall economy.
The New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment has launched its latest PSA campaign – "Reel Jobs. Reel Proud. Real New Yorkers." – spotlighting various New Yorkers who work behind the scenes in the local film and television production.
The five-spot effort is the work of a trio of New York-based companies – The Artists Company, Fluid Editorial and Nice Shoes – that collaborated to produce the work. The spots will appear across various distribution platforms throughout the city, including local AMC Theatres, on broadcast TV and on Taxi-TV, as well as on the city's website, www.NYC.gov. The spots are also on a special New York City Facebook page.
The "Reel Jobs" campaign comes at a time when a recent report from the Boston Consulting Group found that the City's film and TV industry generated $7.1 billion to the local economy and employs 130,000 New Yorkers.
"When New Yorkers pass a film crew on their way to work, we hope this will remind them that they're actually passing a fellow New Yorker where he or she works," says Commissioner Katherine Oliver, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. "There are 130,000 New Yorkers who are part of the production industry here in the five boroughs, working hard, raising families and helping make New York a thriving center for film and television. We're grateful for all of the support we've received from the creative industry and local labor to make this campaign possible."
These new pieces were directed by The Artists Company's Mike Rowles and produced by the production company's Andy Grasheim. Fluid handled editorial on the campaign, with Nice Shoes providing visual effects and color grading.
"From the moment our Vice President, Sally Antonacchio, told me about the project, I did not hesitate, even though its scope and scale were enormous," says Roberto Cecchini, Founder and Executive Producer at The Artists Company. "I didn't hesitate because I felt it was an anthem for the film industry and film professionals, who are so intertwined with the vibrant neighborhoods and life of the city."
Cecchini says he had the perfect director in mind for the project, Michael Rowles. "He's a writer, director and cinematographer, and I knew that all of those skills would be called on to write outlines, scout locations, cast and direct real film industry professionals and shoot B-roll that captured the texture of the city for this massive project."
Each of the five thirties – "The Kirshoff Family, "Christina," "Manny," "Damon" and "John and Lisa" - explores a different facet of the city's vibrant film industry, unfolding in a rippling split-screen montage of city scenes, interviews, and action shots.
The Kirshoff family, a group of special effects mavens, talks about the city's gorgeous scenery while calmly blowing up an SUV; Christina, a set decorator, discusses her Queens roots and the network of New York-based suppliers who help her create sets for "Gossip Girl"; Manny, a self-described "special-ops soldier of the TV and film industries," prowls the streets in a full-body Steadicam mount while waxing poetic about New York's diverse culture; Damon, a location scout, scours New York for shoot locations, reinforcing his claim that the production armies overtaking the streets comprise mostly New Yorkers; and John and Lisa explain how local vendors make the elaborate period pieces in the expansive wardrobe they design for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," which won them an Emmy.
"We had a fantastic time working with the Mayor's Office," recalls Fluid Executive Producer Laura Relovsky. "They presented us with this really fun challenge--how do you tell such big stories in just 30 seconds? We used a dynamic split screen so that we could show off Mike's amazing footage and the beautiful backdrop the city makes for commercials and film. Having multiple images working simultaneously was a great way to flex our creative muscles. It was a delicate balance to navigate, but I think we delivered something a lot of people haven't seen before."
The Fluid editorial team of Peter Sabatino, Zeke O'Donnell, Michael Equi and Heather Danosky worked with Nice Shoes' color and finishing artists Chris Ryan, Russ Bigsby, and Vin Roma to deliver the full complement of highly complex spots, a process they all say was streamlined considerably by the hands-off, let-the-talent-work attitude of the Mayor's Office.
As Fluid assembled, Nice Shoes worked on color grading, conforming and mastering the spots, preparing various versions for play in cinemas, on TV and in the back seats of New York City taxis. "The biggest challenge for us was trying to deliver a cohesive look to the campaign from so many different editors," says Nice Shoes Senior Producer Pat Portela.
"Integrating the small variations within each edit and finessing the montages requires attention to detail and creative insight, but luckily we have the technology and the talent to handle just about anything," adds Nice Shoes Colorist and Partner Chris Ryan. "The Baselight is the only system that allowed us to simulate this complex editorial piece and color correct them all at the same time. Being able to work like this was really helpful in executing Mike's vision."
Fluid and Nice Shoes had both worked with Rowles in the past, and the editorial house worked especially closely with him throughout the creative process, from writing the script to stitching the final spots together. "We have an implicit trust in each other's instincts and talent," notes Sabatino. "Mike's not only a great director, but he also respects the insights of the editor, which makes for a very creative and efficient process. He had a vision for these spots and knew that it would be realized by letting the editors at Fluid get to work."
Adds Nice Shoes' Ryan, "I've been working with Mike since we opened our doors. I've always loved his photography and his aesthetic; he's always interested in experimenting with multiple looks within a single spot. We've always had a good relationship, even though he's a Detroit Red Wings fan."
In addition to the contributions made by The Artists Company, Fluid and Nice Shoes, the campaign was made possible by the cooperation and support of numerous individuals and local labor. IATSE, the union of professional stagehands, motion picture technicians, and allied crafts, made their members available for the production crew at no charge.
Published 22 May, 2012
